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58

58 - Where It All Burns

ZARA

   

          Anguish walked with us back to the pack house. The weight of loss hung heavy in the air, suffocating us with its tight embrace and refusing to pull away. My eyes occasionally glanced down at him, my stomach churning at his immobile form.

Conner.

He was the first friend I had when I got here, the first one who showed me kindness and sympathy. He watched over Haden and me as any good friend would, and as a mated wolf he understood the pull of the bond more than any of us did.

And now, here he sat practically lifeless.

On a magically conjured table floating ahead of us, courtesy of Drake, Conner's body laid flat and his eyes were closed.

The journey back felt longer than ever before, and each step we took echoed with emptiness, silently knowing that things would be different now.

Death suffocated us when we finally arrived on the pack grounds and I felt a shiver run down my spine. I had seen death, but nothing like this. Countless piles of dead bodies were scattered across the field, a silent proclamation that the battle had cost us more than we gained.

As we grew closer to the pack house, the scene that greeted us was one of heartbreak and despair. Natalia and Abigale stood waiting, their faces etched with grief as they watched us approach. My heart ached for Abigale as I watched her crumble, immediately rushing over to comfort her.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered to her, enveloping her in a warm embrace.

The silence was deafening, broken only by the occasional sniffle or choked sob from the woman in my arms.

"What... what happened?" she cried, her body falling limp.

"The Rogue King happened," Haden told her, his voice rising from behind me. "He injected Conner with the same poison my father got."

I could hear the grief in his voice, no matter how steady it was, but I could also hear the underlying anger.

This wasn't over for him, not by a long shot.

Slowly, everyone poured in and surrounded the makeshift table, careful not to touch the glowing blue borders that held Conner's body upright. I felt Natalia's arm go around my waist, leaning into my embrace with Abigale.

"If it was the same, wouldn't it just... you know," James inputted.

"Leave him burning up?" Haden finished.

I furrowed my brows, pulling myself away from the group hug to look up at Haden. Burn up? What the hell was in that thing?

"I'll take Abigale inside," Natalia whispered to me, supporting her as they both moved towards the pack house.

Standing beside me, James met my concerned gaze and gave me a reassuring one before he said, "This must be hard on her. Having your mate killed isn't the best feeling in the world."

"I can only imagine –" I started but Drake interjected, his brows creasing as he looked down at his hand.

"Blondie, I think you might be wrong in that assessment," he murmured, eyes still fixated on his hand, "maybe if I just..."

Watching him with curiosity, I moved closer to Drake, my attention fully captured by his cryptic words and the perplexed expression on his face. His fingers danced with a strange energy, weaving intricate patterns in the air as he muttered to himself.